With 19 incredible seasons under his belt, mostly with the Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce is a Hall of Famer. The Celtics even retired his iconic #34 jersey in recognition of his contributions. But before his reign in the NBA, Pierce made waves during the 1995 McDonald’s All-American Game. Recently, three decades later, he unearthed a fascinating memento from that pivotal moment.

After retirement, Pierce and his ex-Boston teammate Kevin Garnett have teamed up on their KG Certified podcast. This duo often shares old stories, but Pierce recently delivered a surprise. He pulled out his sneakers from that very All-American Game. “Daaammmnnn,” Garnett exclaimed, completely stunned by the shoes.

So, what makes these sneakers so special? Well, it’s not just because Pierce wore them. This pair carried the autographs of his fellow All-Americans, including Kevin Garnett, Vince Carter, and Stephon Marbury. “This is my first signature,” Garnett pointed out. Others who signed it include Robert Traylor and God Shammgod.

Garnett even teased Pierce for leaving them in such rough shape: “You didn’t take care of any of these, man?” Pierce sheepishly admitted, “It was in the storage.” Garnett further added, “It went through an earthquake or something in here, bro. Damn, look at this, man. This s–t fall apart in my hand.”

While Pierce didn’t take care of that iconic souvenir, that’s not the only one from that day. Interestingly, He also had a signed jersey from his teammates and wore it during the game. He might also be the only player, at any level, to play an All-Star Game in a signed jersey. Garnett marveled at this rare piece of history, saying,

“Yo! Have we ever had an all-star game where a player actually played in the jersey while everybody signed the jersey? That s–t look crazy down there,” KG said about Paul Pierce.

During that 1995 All-American Game, Pierce and Garnett also competed in the Slam Dunk Contest, which was won by none other than Vince Carter. Years later, in 2012, Pierce was named one of the 35 Greatest McDonald’s All-Americans, forever cementing his place in basketball history. But did you know it was one of the star-studded games in recent times?

Pierce and Star-Studded 1995 McDonald’s All-American Game

The Kiel Center in St. Louis was buzzing, as the 18th annual McDonald’s All-American Game brought together the nation’s top high school basketball talent. It was stacked with future stars. Out of the 22 players on the rosters, 15 eventually made their way into the NBA.

The roster? The East squad boasted names like Vince Carter, Stephon Marbury, Antawn Jamison, and God Shammgod. On the West team, Kevin Garnett, Chauncey Billups, and Paul Pierce led the charge.

And the game itself? Absolutely electric. A roaring crowd of 16,201 fans filled the arena as CBS broadcasted the event live. The West squad took the win, beating the East 125–115. Kevin Garnett shined brightest, earning MVP honors with an impressive double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds. His performance turned heads, especially as he declared for the NBA Draft later that year, skipping college entirely.

Pierce also made his mark, scoring 28 points for the West as eight of their players hit double digits. On the East side, Ron Mercer led the charge with 19 points, while Stephon Marbury contributed 11 points and 10 assists. Though their efforts fell short, to Garnett and Pierce. Looking back, it’s easy to see why 1995’s All-American Week remains one of the most star-studded in history.